Human reaction time and period of the EEG in relation to development.

Abstract

ABSTRACTSimple auditory reaction time (RT) and an auditory RT task requiring a disjunctive reaction were investigated in a group of 110 boys aged 46—207 months. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded during actual performance of these tasks to determine the extent to which differences in RT associated with development could be accounted for by developmental changes in the EEG. Measures of average EEG period were derived from peaks and troughs of all waves recorded in the time interval between stimulus and response of each trial.Results confirmed previous findings of a significant relationship between RT, σRT, and development. RT and σRT followed a reciprocal power‐law function with age, and hence both measures decreased more rapidly in the earlier years. Choice RT showed a more rapid decline with increasing age than simple RT. Correlations were high, with log simple RT vs log Age =−.874, and log choice RT vs log Age =−.861. Developmental changes in EEG period could account for only a small fraction of these high correlations. The possible role of EEG half waves as time quanta in information processing was discussed in relation to development.